The Sacred Valley of the Incas comprises the region around Cusco which used to be the heartland of the Inca empire. It includes a number of interesting towns near Cusco and several Inca sites, all of which are set amidst the spectacular natural beauty of this part of Peru.

Saqsayhuaman is the Inca complex on top of a hill which overlooks the city of Cusco. It used to be a fortress in Inca times when Cusco was the capital of the empire but the complex was mostly dismantled by the Spaniards who used it as a source of stone for their buildings in Cusco.

The sights from the summit of Breakneck Ridge are spectacular. 1260 feet above ground with the scenic and mountainous Hudson Highlands all around. Stunning views of the wide Hudson river with another peak, Stormking mountain, providing the backdrop directly across and this just ninety minutes from New York city.

Butao Ramen judging by reviews is easily considered one of the top ramen shops in Hong Kong. Some people were a little upset that they had expanded from their single hole in the wall 12 seater serving no more than 200 bowls a day to their 3 stores today.

I was completely ignorant about one of Singapore's best delights, the Hawker Centers and the sheer variety of absolutely delicious food available in them. By pure chance I wandered into the Maxwell Hawker Center one day and was both lost and fascinated by the experience. That day I tried what I now know to be the extremely popular and famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice and it was love at first bite.

Yen Duc village on the road between Ha Long and Hanoi is a scenic village with pretty vistas of wide rice fields and green hills in the distance. It was an unplanned destination that was foisted on us, but we enjoyed it regardless.

The Vung Vieng floating village is one of the four small communities of fisherfolk who make their living in Ha Long Bay, not near the bay or on any island but on their boats and rafts. Protected from the elements by the surrounding limestone karsts of Ha Long bay, they lead a unique lifestyle in their raft homes, some small and tight and others quite large, some with modern comforts like generators and TVs and many with dogs.

Hanoi, this bustling city of millions is the modern day capital of Vietnam and has been an important center for a long time, having recently celebrated 1000 years of existence. It is a charming, if a bit chaotic, blend of remnants from its ancient days, more recent past under the French and modern times. A perfect city to begin to experience Vietnam and a great springboard to the rest of the country. And as I discovered, one can experience a quite a lot of Hanoi in a day.

When I first visited Tim Ho Wan in early 2012, they were still a little hole in the wall kind of Hong Kong shop in Mongkok with crowds of devoted diners waiting 2 hours to eat their famous Michelin star worthy Dim Sum specialties. On my next visit to Hong Kong almost exactly an year later, I excitedly made my way to Kwong Wa Street in Mongkok right after I checked into my hotel and was horrified to find that Tim Ho Wan had closed!

Wok and Barrel is situated in a quiet and interesting little neighborhood of Singapore called Duxton Hill. A restaurant with a cool name, great atmosphere and even better food. A perfect place to cool off with a nice drink and a good lunch on a hot afternoon.